Submit each FNA sample suspended in 0.5 mL (10 drops) of saline in a sterile tube. Each sample should be labeled with an identifier and the same information listed below to allow for proper identification of sample(s) on lab reports.

Deliver immediately to laboratory

Container type

Sterile tube (see collection instructions)

Amount to Collect

0.5 mL (see collection instructions)

Sample type

FNA fluid or tissue aspirate

Preferred volume

0.5 mL fluid

Min. Volume

0.5 mL fluid

Processing notes

Centrifuge sample in refrigerated centrifuge and freeze in original tube at -20C.

As normal samples are not available for validating the performance of this assay, the UCSF Clinical laboratory makes no claims with regard to the accuracy of the result.

All results will be appended with a disclaimer: "The reference range and other method performance specifications have not been established by the UCSF Clinical Laboratory for this body fluid. The test result must be integrated into the clinical context for interpretation."

Assay for intact PTH in "neck" or "thyroid" cytology aspirates may be helpful in determining presence of inadvertently sampled parathyroid adenoma tissue. In aspirate samples of parathyroid adenomas, the ratio of PTH in the aspirate samples versus in serum is typically > 3 even without accounting for dilution of the aspirate sample (Owens CL et al. Diagnostic Cytopathology 26:227-231, 2008).